If you're preparing to conceive—or have been trying without success—you might be wondering: Are my hormones the reason I’m not getting pregnant? Hormonal imbalances can disrupt ovulation, implantation, and overall cycle health, making conception more challenging. The good news? Testing your hormones can give you real answers. Instead of guessing or waiting for a year of trying, you can take a proactive approach by identifying potential imbalances and creating a plan to optimize your fertility.
Whether you're planning to conceive and want to confirm everything is in balance or you've been trying for a few months and want deeper insights before hitting the one-year mark (because your doctor won’t see you until then), functional lab testing can provide clarity. By using functional testing like the DUTCH test, GI MAP, and HTMA, you can create a personalized fertility plan that supports ovulation, implantation, and overall reproductive health. Let’s break down what each test can reveal and how it fits into your fertility journey.
If you’ve been trying to conceive but have yet to get that big fat positive (and your doctor won’t see you unless it’s been a year), lab testing can help uncover hidden imbalances affecting your fertility. Many women struggling with unexplained infertility have had some blood work done—like TSH for thyroid function or AMH for ovarian reserve—but standard testing often misses key insights. A deeper dive into hormones, thyroid health, blood sugar balance, nutrient status, and gut health can provide real answers about why conception isn’t happening. Here’s what I recommend testing and what each lab can reveal about your fertility.
If you're struggling with irregular cycles, difficulty conceiving, or early pregnancy loss, low progesterone may be a key factor. Progesterone is essential for a healthy luteal phase, implantation, and sustaining pregnancy, yet many women experience silent deficiencies without realizing it. In this post, we’ll cover 8 key signs of low progesterone and how they might be affecting your ability to conceive. Plus, we’ll discuss ways to naturally support progesterone levels to optimize your fertility.
Progesterone is a sex hormone released from the ovaries that is vital for conceiving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. The hormone can be broken down as ‘pro’ meaning to promote and ‘gesterone’ meaning gestation or pregnancy. It is released from the corpus luteum which is the remains of the ovarian follicle which releases the ovum or egg. Progesterone has 2 different paths each month depending on fertilization and ovulation. If your ovulated egg is fertilized, then progesterone rises after ovulation to help thicken the uterine lining for pregnancy. If your egg does not become fertilized after ovulation, then progesterone peaks and then declines, because you do not need to prepare for pregnancy. The uterine lining will shed and become a period. Progesterone is also involved in breast development and breastfeeding. Problems can arise when progesterone levels are too low regardless if you are attempting to conceive. Certain foods contain nutrients to help increase progesterone in the body.
PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is an endocrine disorder that affects about 7% of women in Western countries. The diagnosis is given by having two out of the following three symptoms elevated androgens, ovarian cysts, and irregular periods. As a syndrome, there are a collection of symptoms that are patient-dependent. Due to this, PCOS can present very differently from person to person. It is essential to understand the root causes driving your condition and receive proper treatment for each cause. One of the common symptoms associated with PCOS is infertility, or the inability to have a successful pregnancy or conception.
Infertility is common in those with PCOS because having high androgens will decrease the estrogen and progesterone levels which are important for fertility. Many different foods and supplements contain vital components that can regulate these hormone levels to boost fertility. Learning about your condition will help determine what PCOS infertility treatment will work best for you. The foods and supplements listed here are helpful additions to your existing eating style that can support improving fertility.
A healthy menstrual cycle is one of the best ways to determine fertility. Every month your body prepares for pregnancy by releasing an egg in hopes of fertilization to occur to start the pregnancy process. If this does not occur then the egg will be excreted along with the endometrium lining which is made up of tissue and blood. There are 4 main phases during the entire average 28-day cycle. During these phases, the hormone levels will change dramatically in order to do their job properly.
PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is an endocrine disorder that affects about 7% of women in Western countries. It is diagnosed by having two out of the following three symptoms elevated androgens, ovarian cysts, and irregular periods. As a syndrome, there are a collection of symptoms that are patient-dependent. Due to this, PCOS can present very differently from person to person. It is important to understand the root causes driving your condition and receive proper treatment for each cause. In addition to treatment, there are certain foods and supplements that contain vital components that can regulate hormone levels and blood sugar. Learning about your condition will help determine what is a PCOS diet. Although, this style of eating is not a weight loss plan nor is it supposed to be extremely strict. Diet here simply means a way of eating or eating style. The foods and supplements listed are just helpful additions to your existing eating style or diet.
Ovulation is a crucial process when it comes to fertility. If you are ovulating every month, this indicates that you have healthy hormones and are most likely fertile. Ovulation occurs during the middle of your monthly cycle where a follicle within the ovary will mature and release an egg into the fallopian for fertilization. If the egg does not get fertilized it will be shed through the uterus as a period. The process seems simple, but in reality, ovulation is not innate because it relies heavily on specific hormone balance.
Hormones are substances produced in one part of our body that provides functions in another part of the body. Almost every part of the body is impacted by hormones and almost all hormones are related together. They work in a balancing system. When one is low, another may become high. Over time, hormone imbalances will not allow for ovulation to occur because the imbalances signal that the body is not a healthy spot for reproduction.
